I think anyone so put off by the slow operating practices of those on the
other end of the path in persuit of a winning score should be required to
spend the 24 hours manning the GOTA station working with the visitors and
kids to get their 20 contacts. If that won't temper your patience nothing
will.
I slowed the process way down on several occasions when I realized the voice
on the other end was a KID or a YL that was struggling to make sense of the
process and maybe make their first ever over the air contact. Making that a
successful experience for them was more important than 100 1 point
quickies....
The band conditions were pitiful...6 and 10 were all but dead but somehow we
managed to beat last years score while mentoring on both ends of the mic and
key.
Cecil
K5DL
MDXA/GDXA (K5MDX) 3A MS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richards" <jruing@ameritech.net>
To: <k9yc@arrl.net>; "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment"
<tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 7:05 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Just a 'foot-in-mouth' observation
>
>
> On 6/26/2012 2:39 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
>
>> So I don't want to hear a lot of crap from guys who don't contribute a
>> thing about how I need to slow down and mentor others. I do that, and
>> I'd bet that I do at least 100 times more of it than those who are
>> giving me the crap.
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> Gee, Jim, I don't recall that being the point of
> any criticism... instead... I think the objection
> was more directed to your chastising the Old Fart
> who (perhaps) needlessly repeated his message
> and took longer, and who said more than the bare
> minimum, to complete the Field Day exchange, that
> spawned any criticism. You sorta came off sounding
> condescending and hyper-critical of anyone who did
> not handle the exchange as would a super efficient,
> highly practiced, world class contester.
>
>
> It is unfortunate the ARRL modeled its Field Day
> assessment scheme in the style and fashion of a major
> contest. That seems to have transformed Field Day
> from a nationwide training exercise into more of
> a contest.
>
> I understand Field Day to be an invitation to
> ALL HAMS to devote at least one day each year to
> setting up the type of station that might be required
> for a large scale emergency event, and then sharpen
> one's operating skills by making a lot of quick,
> pithy, exchanges - which is, at least, where the
> contest format makes more sense.
>
> But I also thought Field Day is an invitation to
> ALL HAMS - of whatever stripe, to participate in
> a large scale, nationwide event, both for public
> service, and to promote and publicize the hobby,
> placing it in a good light in the community - sort
> of a radio open house, as it were.
>
> I also thought hams come in many different stripes,
> and that ham radio is a VERY BIG hobby - big enough to
> accommodate and embrace all sorts of guys - whether they
> are casual rag chewers, highly efficient contestants,
> properly trained Em-Comm volunteers, guys that only
> do phone, or just CW, or both... or even who just do
> digital modes, and even big enough to embrace guys
> who like to operate radios, without knowing how to
> build one, and so forth.
>
> So, I think some guys (I did) took your original
> comment to mean slow poke old farts should stay off
> the air on Field Day, if they cannot get with the
> &^%$# program! It sounded pretty harsh and
> unforgiving.
>
> In contrast, I thought Field Day was for EVERYONE
> - young, old, fast, slow, experienced, or rookie,
> smart and otherwise.
>
> I figure if some Old Fart participates in FD from
> his home station, and working CW slowly, at his
> own pace, and repeating himself more than may be
> necessary - TRYING TO BE SURE HE IS COMMUNICATING
> clearly - that he is doing the right thing...
> and he should be accepted on Field Day as just
> as any other guy, who might be a super-fast, super-
> efficient contester type ham, who can make the
> exchange faster than fast.
>
> So, if Field Day is for everybody... should we
> not take everybody as we find them? Is there
> not room for the 15 wpm code guy? Was he really
> all so wrong for repeating his message... slowly...
> trying to make sure it was received correctly
> the first time ? Should we contact THE BLOKE
> after the event is over, and tell him he is a lid?
> After all, he probably did not realize you are a
> world class operator, and he may have slowed down
> thinking you must might be a regular guy like he
> is, and appreciate some slow, but clear, copy.
> Was he really all wrong in how he approached it?
>
> I think that was the point of any criticism...
> certainly NOT that you are not a good mentor or
> that you don't pull your share of the freight.
> Did that guy really have it so fired wrong ?
>
> Footnote - in our local traffic nets, they REQUIRE
> the traffic handlers to say apparently unnecessary
> stuff like, "Please copy..." and they also REQUIRE
> them torepeat certain heavy portions of the messages,
> so I wonder if the O F thought he was doing it right,
> at least under local conditions...
>
>
> That is just My take...
>
> Happy Trails and Good DX y'all.
>
> ====================== K8JHR ==========================
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> .
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